George Orwell once had an amazing idea for a book: what if a pig ran a farm? A stone-cold comedy classic and a masterpiece of the “talking pig” sub-genre, Animal Farm is truly iconic. There are some subversive types who like to pretend there’s some kind of socialist, totalitarian subtext but these smarty-pants, smug intellectual sorts are to be ignored. However, like every great book, the eternal question remains: “why isn’t this a video-game instead?”
Worry no more! Orwell’s Animal Farm has arrived to seize the means of entertainment. Developer Nerial has taken on the task, creating an interesting if shallow new look at the classic story. Transposing the original narrative into a point and click adventure. The closest point of comparison may be the clever Jules Verne phone adaptation 80 Days or the ingenious Elsinore, the choose-your-own-adventure retelling of Hamlet.
Hogwash!
Animal Farm never meets these creative heights. A disappointingly straightforward affair with minimal interactivity. More choices become available as you progress but it still feels closer to a book report than a gaming experience. Beautifully illustrated scenes tell the story with a charming cartoon style, yet it feels at odds with the severity of the unfolding events. More Walt Disney than Watership Down. A recommended early decision is to turn off the overblown narration. Juxtaposed with the cheery visuals it’s truly pompous and overblown.
Dramatic moments are lost entirely due to limited animation. For example, an early scene in which the tragic foolish horse Boxer accidentally kicks a young man to death is shown from a bird’s eye view. The weight of this moment is delivered solely via dialogue box, accidentally making this weirdly impersonal, especially compared to the original story. If the aim was to bring a classic to life in this form then it has sorely missed the mark.
Orwell’s that ends well?
As a way to engage younger audiences with the book, Orwell’s Animal Farm could be an excellent teaching tool. Older players however will be less enthused. For a brief bit of horsing around the game is entertaining enough but if you want to truly pig out then it’s time to hit the books.
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